President Lincoln fighting to survive after shooting at Ford Theater

BOSTON- The Friday night performance of Play American Cousin at the Ford
Theater was disrupted by violence as President Lincoln was shot during
Intermission. At about 10:30pm, loud cracks were heard from the Presidents box
in the upper part of the theater. The other attendees of the play stood up and looked
around in confusion. An unidentified man jumped out of the box and ran out
carrying a knife while yelling, sic semper tyrannis. This is a Latin phrase
meaning, thus always of tyrants. The man ran to the rear of the stage and exited
through the theater.
No suspicions arose during the first half of the play. Lincoln and his family
were simply enjoying the play in their box. General Grant was supposed to be in
attendance with the president. Unfortunately, he was in New Jersey for business
reasons.
The play was brought to an abrupt end. Looking up, the President was
slumped over in his chair. It was soon confirmed that Lincoln was shot in the back
of the head by the gunman. A man in the theater followed the gunman as he ran out
of the theater and witnessed, the man with the dagger mounted a horse and rode
off. The President was taken to a safe house across the street from the theater.
When taken from the theater, Lincoln was unconscious. His wife and two sons
were by his side. His doctor confirmed that the president had a bullet lodged in the
back of his head.
The gunman was identified as John Wilkes Booth. Lauren Keene, an
audience member, confirmed his identity and claimed she recognized him. Mr.
Booth dropped his pistol in the box before fleeing. It was a single-shot pistol. His
intentions and location currently remain unknown.
Crowds and military guards gathered in front of the house that the president
was in. Later on in the evening, the doctor confirmed that the president was shot in
the temporal lobe and brain matter was oozing from the wound. At midnight, the
President was breathing slowly and the doctor was pessimistic he was going to
survive the injuries. A night out to the play turned into a night of tragedy for the
President and fellow play attendees.